Amulet of Quietus
by finelley
Summary: The Three Sisters of Doom. They have the power to destroy this world. And Artemis has a plan to catch each of them. Starting with the Silent Reaper...
1. Water Utopia

Amulet of Quietus

Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own Artemis Fowl. sigh But, one can dream, no?

Summary: Artemis regains his memory and sets out after a powerful Amulet. Only problem is he needs the helps of a stubborn water sprite to get it.

Setting: Middle of South America and Ireland

Chapter 1: Water Utopia

Sunlight played across the water set village. It cast away shadows, and shone through the shallow pools of water in which young sprites played. Many older sprites feared to leave their puddles, afraid the sun would shrivel them in seconds, and so were confined to one or two main pools . Of course, this lead several young ones to believe that the sun could dry them out just as fast, if not faster, and so the village had set itself under the shade of trees. Of course, said trees were in the water, so the sprites never had to leave their true home.

Among some of the younger aged water elves was Anya. By younger aged, of course, I mean a couple hundred years old. Anya was nearing two hundred years of age. This placed her somewhere around being a teenager in human years, something like fifteen. Gods, how young those humans really were! Normally, Anya would be in a peppy disposition, but not now. Never this time of year.

Most naiads, or water spirits, were elated at this time of year. This was the time of years when all sprites gathered and returned to their real home for three months. For Anya's type, this home was Water Utopia, located 200 feet under the surface of the ocean. Now, you're probably thinking "What's wrong with that? She's a water sprite after all!" Well, maybe she was a sprite, but that didn't mean she enjoyed it.

In fact, Anya almost despised the wet world in which she resided. Of all the fairy's she knew who ventured from the water, Anya was the only one who'd left the water for more than one hour. She'd gone off gallivanting three weeks ago, and since returning, had been a social outcast.. The others were appalled by such behavior, and thought she should seeks forgiveness from Tethys, the goddess of aquatic nymphs, which just angered Anya more.

Today marked the beginning of a week before they set off for Utopia, and her behavior hadn't improved much. She'd been assigned guard duty for the youngest sprites of the village. It was like babysitting (one of her worst fears), but worse. None of the children could drown, but they sure could disappear onto dry land. That would set the village into an uproar, and she'd be blamed for being such an influence on the tykes.

After being thoroughly splashed by Marsden, a young boy nymph, Anya kept her distance from kids. She sat on a rock twenty feet from the pools, close enough to watch, far enough to stay dry.

"Stupid brat, I should pull him out of the water and watch him cry. How funny would he be then? Huh? He'd be-" She continued on, murmuring to herself for some time, consumed with anger. And then she felt it. A pull in her mind, a small ach in the back of her head. What was this? She stood, but before she could react, her vision was filled with black…

_Her mind soared across vast amounts of land. Green was so rare… there were more tall gray buildings than trees. Her visions took her west, to a land of foreigners. She flew over minute, overcrowded islands, and then desolate islands. Suddenly, she was descending. Before her was a small land mass, noticeable only because of the enormous mountain directly in the center of it. _

_Her vision flew to the mountain, and at the base of it stood a cave. Dark, malicious looking, she almost didn't want to go in. Anya tried to turn, but found her mind being pulled forward, into the dark. She called out in fright, but no sound came. And then, she stopped._

_It happened so abruptly that it seemed almost unsettling. Anya looked around, absorbing her surroundings. A small cave, about ten feet across, ten feet deep, and fifteen feet high was before her. She stood in the entryway, looking in. And what a sight it was._

_Absolutely nothing. It was disappointing, but the room was bare. Anya looked around again, searching in vain for something, anything, to show why she was here. This was it? An empty cave? Some flight that was!_

_**Step forward, and the light shall show you.** Anya jumped, unaware that she wasn't alone._

_**Step forward? Fine, but don't expect me to get all excited about nothing. **Anya stepped forward, or her mind did at least. A light suddenly shown down, lighting up the small cave, and glittering off of something. _

_Cautiously, she moved forward, and gasped. It was beautiful! A small silver amulet sat on a pillar. The amulet sported many diamonds, but the greatest thing about it, the most accentuating item on it was the blood red ruby in the middle of it. The jewel was shaped like a heart, and she almost swore she could hear it beating._

_**You are the only one who knows its here. I have only shown you because my time has come and gone, and you are least likely to ever seek it. Guard this knowledge well. **That voice again. Hey, what did it mean by she was least likely to seek it?_

_**Look, I don't know what you are, or who, but I want answers. What is this? Why am I least likely to seek it? Why would anybody seek it at all? And why me?**_

_**You were pure of heart, a good strong child of the magic world. I decided to show you because you seemed worthy. This is the Amulet of Quietus. Many people seek it, because of its powers, and because of its fortune. You must not tell anyone where it is, lest its evil be brought to this earth again.**_

_**Evil? What evil?**_

_**That I can not tell you. Guard it well, my child. And be warned, the ones who seek me will seek out you as well. Be prepared for them to come. Good-bye. **_

_**Wait!** Anya tried to stop moving, but she was expelled from the cave, and sent flying back to the world. She was flying home, in fact, there was her island…_

"Anya Vistou, you wake up right now, or so help me, I'll give you to Oceanid himself." That wasn't a good thing to wake up to, but that's all that greeted Anya as she awoke to the real world. In front of her stood Misty, an elderly hag who pestered anyone stupid enough to get near her.

"What happened? Oh, hi Misty, how are you?" Anya pretended like she'd just woken up, but in all reality, she felt like she'd never gone to sleep.

"Don't you sass me, young lady! Have you been watching the children? Of course not, you were sleeping! Now, tell me, are all of them here?" Misty's beady eyes bore into hers, awaiting an answer. Turning from Misty, Anya began to count the kids.

Cari, Dalit, Kenda, Killian, and Moselle all were swimming together. The only one missing was…

"Marsden! Oh, Gods, where is that child?" Misty made a _tsk _sound at her, disapproving of the girl who'd lost one of their own.

"Anya, don't you come home tonight until you find that boy, you understand?"

"Yes, Misty, I understand. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to doze." She started a string of apologizes, but was cut short.

"Don't stand here talking to me! Go find the child, you idiot girl!" Misty snapped.

Anya blushed furiously and started off towards the forest, a favorite place among mischievous little boys. Especially boys like Marsden, who loved straying from the pools he was limited too.

Anya sighed, know she wouldn't get any sleep for sometime, and set off into the dark woods.

**A**rtemis sighed. It had been to easy. His memory had been back for well over a week, and the fairy world was still in the dark about it. They had no clue, and he planned to keep it that way, lest he went through all that hard work again, only to have it be such and easy challenge, again.

After he had awoken and found the lens in his eye, Artemis had asked Butler to contact some friends who knew about those types of things. As it turned out, one of his friends in Limerick had been expecting them, and had something to give them.

**_  
_J**oseph McDugal was some what astonished when he informed Butler that he'd seen him just a few months ago. Butler seemed confused, but went along with the flow, saying he must have forgotten what he was there for.

"Care to refresh my memory?" Butler asked.

"Of course, sir. You asked for a special type of contact, one which was very adhesive, and washes out only with water. I'm surprised you don't remember, that order was a dozy. Oh, you also asked me to give this too you when you returned, and said that I should remind you to call this person immediately."

Joseph handed Butler a handed piece of paper, on which he recognized his own hand writing. He pocketed it and thanked his friend.

On the plane back to Dublin, Butler took out the note and read it thoroughly.

_To Butler:_

_Don't worry, your not insane. Yes, you wrote this, but you won't remember it. Believe me, everything will be clear when you do as I say. This number below is to a contact of yours, a good friend. He's very weird, very short, and not quite normal. Call him and tell him that Artemis wishes to reunite at the manor, and then hang up. The guy should show up with a small laser disk. Let him show it to you, and you'll remember everything. To prove that you really wrote this, I included something only you, Juliet and Madame Ko know. Good-bye, and good luck. Butler_

Butler was amazed, to say the least. He decided to play along though, and looked below. There was a number, an area code somewhere in the USA, and below that was the so-called proof. His jaw dropped, and Butler's eyes widened. This couldn't be true! How had this person known? It was true what they'd say, that only he, his sister, and Madame Po had known that.

Before he could ponder anymore on it though, a stewardess announced that the plane was landing, and that he should fasten his seatbelt. Artemis was going to love this. Not only had someone set this up for them, but they had provided a way for them to solve this contact business. Assuming, that is, that that person really was Butler himself.

Artemis was skeptic to say the least, but decided to give the guy a call. As it turned out, that had been all they needed. Within in one day, the midget Mulch had shown up, shown them the disk, and restored their memories.

Of course, he was still at the house, ransacking the refrigerator at the moment. Butler was keeping an eye on the dwarf, and Artemis was sitting in his room, pondering what to do.

So far, the faeries had no idea he knew about them, again. This gave Artemis an advantage, and he intended to use it for his last mission. Yes, that's right, his last. He'd sworn after Spiro not pull another amazing heist, but Artemis just couldn't resist. It was time for his revenge on those Russian pigs who'd kidnapped his father and thought to get the better of Artemis Fowl the Second.

Artemis sighed again, coming at a dead end on his computer. The search for the jewel was almost a challenge. He'd found out about the jewel from the disk, which had mentioned it briefly. Something about death and pain, and ultimate power. Sounded like the perfect toy for Artemis.

He typed a new search engine, this time coming up with a hit. It seemed that the amulet had last been used over five hundred years ago, and had decimated nearly half the world. Faeries had then given it to a Guardian and locked that magical being away, somewhere in the confines of the Mud Man world. Just his luck, that he didn't have to make an excursion down to Haven or any other underworld city, for that matter.

After printing out a picture of the amulet, Artemis had read the riddle about where the Guardian was, and decided to get a second opinion. So he called the only person he trusted.

"Butler, come here for a moment, I'd like your opinion on something." Even though Artemis was three floors up, Butler was there in half a minute, dragging Mulch in behind him.

"Sir?" Butler asked after releasing Mulch from his grip.

"I was wondering what you'd conclude when you read this riddle, so tell me what you think." He showed Butler the screen waiting while the manservant read it. Artemis recited it in his head, having already committed it to memory.

_The Guardian shall have to hide_

_Among the Mud Men so up high_

_The place she hides is so discrete_

_That very few shall ever meet._

_Those of water know her well_

_Though they hide inside a shell_

_One to be chosen, so distraught_

_This one only must be taught. _

_Seek the child of the water_

_The Guardians only daughter_

_Make her shown you, ask her how_

_The Amulet can be found_

Butler studied over for a minute more and then turned to Artemis, a scowl on his face.

"Another mission, Artemis?" After the boy nodded, he continued. " Seems like this Guardian had one kid, a girl who likes water. She told the kid where it was, and now only her and the girl know. They're not underground though, but not somewhere highly populated either."

Artemis nodded, having come to almost the same conclusion. "I thought the same thing, but I think I understand that it meant by 'discrete'. It referred to somewhere no one goes, or knows about. And the reference to 'those of water'? I think it means water nymphs. So, what if by discrete it meant somewhere no humans go? What if it meant-"

"A water sprite pool." Mulch finished for them.

**Author's Note**

This is kind of an author's own universe, though I did try to keep it related to Artemis. That part about sprites and what not I kinda made up, so don't explode at me. Also, this is set about one year after Eternity Cube.

Review, tell what you thought of it. Thnx!

_P.S._- If you haven't guessed, the thing on the note to Butler was his real name, Domovoi. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think anyone else would know that.


	2. Searching and Planning

Amulet of Quietus

Disclaimer: Man, I'd be rich if I owned Artemis Fowl, but, alas, it is not so...sob.

Setting: Middle of South America and Ireland (again).

Chapter 2: Searching and Planning

Mulch knew he shouldn't tell them about the water sprites, but he couldn't resist. He'd been living low since he'd last seen Artemis, and living low was living at all. Maybe stirring up some mayhem with these sprites was just what a dwarf needed every now and then.

"So, the 'child of water' is a nymph?" Butler asked dubiously.

"Yup, that's what a child of water is: a water nymph, sprite, whatever. It's all the same really, so no matter-"

"Anyway" interrupted Artemis, "We know it's a water sprite, now we need to know the most likely place to find them, and then well have to study them to see which sprite has knowledge about the amulet."

Butler smiled. He knew where this was going. Stake out in the middle of no where for a long period of time, and reconnaissance for who knew how long.

"I'll start gathering equipment, but I'll need to know where we're going in order to bring the right stuff, so, any ideas?" Butler asked Artemis, who in turn asked Mulch.

"Well, there's only a few nymph pools that are left, and almost all of them are isolated from the world. The most likely place to find them would be South America, along the eastern coast."

"Why eastern?" Butler wondered aloud.

"Because they migrate to their home every new year for one third of the year."

"Home? Isn't their pool their home?" Butler was getting more confused. Suddenly, Artemis slapped his hands together, and sat at the computer. Mulch, who was slightly frightened by this behavior, took a cautious step toward Butler.

"Does the slap mean he's found something, or his brains been fried by radio waves and his I.Q has dropped 60 points?" Butler ignored the midget and went over the Artemis. He was running a search on sprite pools in eastern South America. There turned out to be eight.

"Well, I guess we pick one at random and go, huh?" Mulch asked cheerily.

"Not quiet." Artemis responded. "You see, the riddle said the Guardian was among us, but also that they were 'up high', something like a mountain. But these are water spirits, meaning its most likely a waterfall." Onto the page popped one waterfall, a place in Guyana, just a mile or two from the coast.

"That's our spot. Now, Butler, not only will we need supplies for travel, but we also need something to carry a sprite back in. A tank of water maybe. Plus a small sedative, to convince our friend to come along. Nothing to big, I don't want to harm her. The same mix we used on Holly should do just fine."

"How are you planning to get there, might I inquire." Mulch asked indignantly. "It's one thing to fly in there illegally, but to fly out with something illegal on board? You know there are policies against bringing live things back to Ireland, right? And who isn't going to notice a gigantic fish tank? I mean, come on! The only way you could possibly do this would be to fly…your own…" He gulped, Artemis's plan hitting him full force, "Oh, no, you can count me out Mud Boy! No way I'm flying with you again. Knowing your-"

"Mulch, before I break you jaw in a very painful manor, please shut it." Butler rubbed his temples, the dwarfs ranting having egged on a headache. His old age had finally caught up with him, and all the ailments to go with it. "I'll have everything ready in one day or less. We can leave as soon as I've double checked the jet, and acquired a tank. How big do you think we should make it?" Artemis sat thoughtfully for a moment.

"About half the size of a pool, so around 500 gallons should suffice. Mulch, does it matter what type of water the sprites in?"

Still fuming about being cut off so rudely, the midget almost didn't respond. Butler's death glare convinced him otherwise. "Nope, the water doesn't matter at all, any type will do."

"Fine. Butler, fill the tank with whatever water you want, and load it on the jet. I'll be packing my own items in my room, call me when your ready."

Anya was somewhat relieved. It had only taken three hours to find Marsden, Gods be thanked it wasn't any longer. Water sprite can have one hot temper, and boy did Anya's scare Marsden.

She'd come stomping up to him in his hiding place (a small puddle of water under a sapling) and started yelling her head off about the different things that could have eaten of kidnapped him. What did Marsden do? Cry and run away, which took another half an hour of her time.

When Marsden had finally calmed down, Anya had to drag the nymph back to the village. Of course, he went kicking and screaming, complaining that he deserved to go where he wanted to and could handle anything that tried to attack him. She was tempted to let him go, but that wouldn't sit well with the others, so she picked him up and slung him over her shoulder.

"About time, young lady! We've been waiting for hours! Marsden's mom is in shock right now, completely convinced her son is dead, or worse, the pet to a Mud Man! How could you let him wonder off?" Misty laid on about Anya's incapabilities, her irresponsibility, and shameful love of land, but Anya tuned her out.

After dumping Marsden at his moms hut, Anya swam over to her own pool and bedded down. Why was she always blamed for children's wandering? It's like she was the scapegoat for them, and no one noticed but herself. Well, forget those old crackpots. She'd not take care of the tykes if it was that much of a problem. Let them wander, she if she cared!

Remembering her dream from earlier, Anya played over the one thing that had confused her. The voice had called her "My child". Could she have possibly found her mother?

Since she could remember, Anya had always dreamed about her mom. The village elders told her that her mother had gone wandering into the Mud Man world, and was consumed by the heat of the sun. But she'd never really believed it.

There were still little dreams in her head about what it'd be like to come home and have someone there to talk to, someone who loved her, and wanted to listen. A tear found its way down her smooth skin, and dropped from her chin, splashing to the water below.

_I know! I'll ask the elders where my mother really is, and what this Amulet can do. Maybe then they'll tell me something worth knowing! No more lies for me!_ Though these thoughts did very little to make her happy, Anya settled down in her lily pad bed feeling comforted.

_She was in the cave again, and there was the amulet. But there was someone else here this time. Another woman, a water sprite in fact. The light glistened off her blonde hair, her shining silver dress, and her shocking blue eyes. _

_**I am the Guardian, the one of which you spoke to earlier. You are troubled. Why?** The woman's mouth didn't move, but words were definitely coming out._

_**I was wondering…if perhaps you…well, it's quite stupid really, but is there any way you could be my mother?** She felt like a child. What a stupid question, of course she wasn't you mom. But the woman seemed to laugh, or her body made the movements of one laughing._

_**My dear child, you are smarter than I thought. Those old hags at the village have taught you well. Yes, you are my child, my only child. You are the one who will guard the Amulet next. It is a great honor, passed down through generations, and it's your turn soon.**_

_**But, why do we guard it? What's so terrible about it? **Her mother seemed confused._

_**The elders never told you about Quietus?** Anya shook her head, and her mothers face darkened._

_**Idiotic old fools! Their going to kill our entire world if their not careful. They were suppose to tell everyone what Quietus can do, and why it was sealed away, not hide it from them! When I get out, boy am I going to tell them a thing or two!**_

**_Um, mother? What can Quietus do? Why is it so dangerous?_**

_Her mother sighed, and walked forward, to Anya. She grasped her hand, and touched her face. **My beautiful daughter, I wish that this burden didn't fall on your shoulders, but it has, and now I must tell you the horrors of our past.**_

_She paused, brought Anya forward, and indicated the amulet. **Touch it, and the Amulet of Quietus shall obliterate you immediately. **_

_Anya stepped back involuntarily. **What? How can it do that? It's just a stone!**_

_**My daughter, it is the Amulet of Quietus. Quietus means death. It brings death to all who are unworthy of touching it.** Anya pondered over this. All who were unworthy? But, what if…? Her mother smiled, knowing what she was thinking._

_**Every so often, one worthy of touch the stone is born. They won't know about the stone, but can be told how to use it by one who does know.**_

_**Has this happened before?** Her mother nodded. **What happened? Did lots of people die? How was the person stopped?**_

_**Many thousands of people died. It was several centuries ago, before you were born. A Mud man was deemed worthy, and came to take the stone. He got away with it, but he couldn't control the power. The stone consumed him, and turned him into an evil shell of a man. What he touched with the power of the amulet died. **_

_**Sometime during his escapade, the mans heart resurfaced, but it could do naught to stop the stone. Besides, he could only give life to those people who he'd known and trusted before they died.** Anya was horrorstricken. How awful!_

_**The Amulet can heal too? How is this possible? It seems that such a thing could only bring evil to our world.**_

_**Not quite, my child. The Amulet gives the power of judgment to any one it deems worthy. This means they can take a life, or give it. But there are rules to this game.**_

_**Game! How can you call this a game? These are people's lives! And your just whisking them which way you will!** Her mother sighed._

_**Yes, it does seem harsh. But the Amulet was created to help in war. A worthy person could kill thousands of warriors in seconds , and if the enemy caught them, they couldn't bring anyone back.**_

_**Why does it work like that? Why couldn't they bring those people back?**_

_**The Amulet of Quietus allows you to kill whomever you wish, but giving life is more complex. In order to bring someone back, the worthy one must have known them, and trusted them. ** Anya remembered her mom saying that earlier. The wielder would have to trust someone._

_**By trust, do you mean they trust them with their lives? **Her mother thought it over. _

_**This is difficult to explain. The Amulet is very confusing. In order to trust someone, you must not tell them a lie, and if you do lie, they must notice it.**_

_Anya starred at her blankly. Lie? What did that have to do with anything? **I don't understand.**_

_**The true holder of the stone, or the Silent Reaper, as its more commonly referred to, has a saying that is passed through the time line. "I only tell the truth to one I trust, and one who trusts me tells the truth back." It means that the Silent Reaper **_

_**may tell the truth to you, in which case the Silent one trusts you. But if it lies, you have to tell it that you recognize its lie, and it may trust you afterward.**_

_**Why would it lie to you? Just because it doesn't trust you?**_

_Her mother nodded._** _Not only that, but you might have lied to it before. It is said that the Silent one only lies to those it doesn't trust, and that more often than not it doesn't trust them because they lied to it first._**_ Her mother stopped, a pained expression on her face. The cave seemed to shake, and her mothers image vanished._

**_Mom? Where are you? What's going on?_**

_**Evil people are searching for the Amulet. They will seek you out daughter. You must leave your village soon. I-** Her voice stopped, it was fading away._

_**Wait, I need to know something else! What's your name?**_

_**My name? I think…it was… Lynna.**_

_**I will make sure to tell the elders that Lynna says hi, before I attack them for hidding such information. I will leave the village five days time mother, and be on my way here.** Her mother's voice was screaming at her, but it was so faded, she only caught a few words._

_**No!...now...don't wait...come here...safe.**_

_**I will come mother, I promise!**_

_**No...away... ** The silence that followed only lasted a few seconds before she was jetted from the cave and back into her own body..._

**Author's Note**

Right, well, there's the second chapter. Any suggestions as to what I should do in the future? And a warning, it may be some time before I can make a new chapter, schools up again (Darn it!) and I have to attend. Well, review, tell what you liked, hated, whatever! Just tell me what you thought, even if it put you to sleep.

Finelley****


	3. Three Sisters of Doom

Amulet of Quietus

Disclaimer: Hehehe, if I could laugh manically, I might. I don't own it….what a shame!

Setting: South America (duh!) and a little in Ireland

Chapter 3: Three Sisters of Doom

**It** only took five hours for Artemis to set out on his plan. Butler had prepared the plane, bought the tank, gathered supplies, and even brought Mulch a gift.

"It's called duck tape, dwarf, and don't think I'll hesitate to use it if you give me lip, understand?" Mulch had a response for him, but decided to keep his mouth shut. That tape looked like a nasty bugger to pull off. Just thinking about it made his whiskers bristle.

Artemis was checking the gauges and machinery in the cockpit, making sure everything was in proper order, and that he had sufficient fuel for the trip. He didn't want to get stuck in a swamp in the middle of nowhere, especially with Mulch on board. Gods knew he could talk for hours on end…

"So, Arty…How are you planning on finding this sprite again? Just nab them at random till you get the right one? Or will you scare them into telling you which one your after with your superior intellect?" Artemis, sighing, turned to him..

"I plan on watching them until I know which one is the child, and then taking them."

"But, how are you going to know that they're the child of the Guardian? I mean, where's the info (that I obviously missed) that states the characteristics of a fairy? Is there something remarkable about her that will stand out? She doesn't have a third arm does she, cause that might gross me out…"

Artemis almost smiled. Almost. Dwarves were rare species, that was for sure. He reached around his neck and pulled of his necklace, the one with the fairy book encrypted onto it.

"Remember this? I have the whole fairy rule book here. On the page mentioning the Guarding there's another poem. I don't remember much but this. 'And though her eyes and skin match color, her mind is above all the others. This child alone ventures out, to the dry, the forbidden, all about.' It's not much to run off of, but I believe it means she'll be a land-loving water sprite."

"'Land-loving water sprite'? Are you insane? No water sprite would ever venture onto land. It's preposterous!" The boy smiled, his fangs showing maliciously.

"Exactly. What better way to notice a specific creature then by singling out its preferences? One day of surveillance, and we might have a fairy in our grasp."

Mulch looked dumbstruck. They were actually doing this, he couldn't believe it. Kidnapping a water sprite? And him helping? This could earn him a couple hundred more years in jail…He shrugged. The adventure alone would be worth it.

Butler walked into the plan carry a small bag and a zip up package. He was wearing total black, even black socks, and it didn't exactly make him look like a ballerina. Artemis too was dressed in black, but Mulch had chosen a different color. He sported a lime green t-shirt and plaid green and brown pants.

"I'm afraid I missed the memo saying there was a funeral. Mind if I borrow some clothes?" Butler threw him a smaller version of his own black getup, and then reached around the chair nearest him and grabbed some shoes.

"Bathrooms in the back. I suggest you wait until we take off to go, though."

Mulch scoffed. "I'll be fine. Not like a little incline can throw me off balance. We dwarves have amazing senses of balance, you know." He closed the door and silence returned.

A few moments later, Artemis started the jet engine and started his ascension. A small thump and string of curses could be heard from the back, but both humans ignored it. After all, dwarves do anger easily.

**The** setting sun glared angrily across the pools of water in front of her. It turned them dark red, almost like blood. Soon, they would be a cold black, like the sky without its moon was.

Anya's anger was topped only by her curiosity. Why didn't the elders tell her? Or anyone for that matter. She intended to lay down for them just how much troublethey had caused. For as long as she could remember, everyone had said her mother was an insubordinate witch. A water sprite not taking care of her own offspring was a rare condition, one of which no one liked to deal with.

But they had dealt with it, and fairly well. Anya was only treated with a mild disrespect, but she supposed it could be worse. She could be dead.

Up ahead she saw dim lights, which indicated the outskirts of her village. As she trudged up to the huts, she was overcome by the weirdest feeling. Like someone was…watching her. She stopped momentarily, checking left and right, but saw nothing and continued on at a renewed pace.

The small elders hut stood before her. It was a ramshackle old place, all decrepit and lopsided. She was surprised it hadn't fallen yet. Anya straightened her back, pushed back her long blonde hair, and stepped into the hut.

What she saw surprised her, to say the least. In all factuality, she did a double take to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

There were fire spirits in the elders hut. Not only that, but they looked calm. Almost unthreatening. Yeah, right, unthreatening. That was a laugh.

"Anya, how good of you to join us. The fire sprites were just asking when you'd be back. Honestly, I didn't think it'd be this soon." The person who spoke was Nirvelli, a beautiful elder who was still middle aged. She motioned a spot on the floor for Anya, who reluctantly took it.

"Might I ask why fire sprites are on the waters of our home?" Anya asked innocently. She didn't want to seem rude, seeing as the fire sprites could burn her and all.

"Anya-" One of the elders began, but was cut short by the hand of a fire spirit.

"Anya, is it? You know why we are here child?" She shook her head. " Does the Amulet of Quietus mean anything to you?" Anya looked about, the elders starring at her. Their eyes pleaded for her to answer no.

"Yes. It's an item of ruin that can only be used by a worthy person. I found this out recently on my own, with no thanks to certain people." Her chin held high, Anya turned from her fellow water sprite, hoping to shame them.

"Quite right, child. Seeing as you just discovered this, you probably don't know what role we play in this."

"You play a role in this?" _Astonishing things happened to people who were told things, _She thought bitterly.

"We guard the worthy one. Our people read the flames, and the fires tell us whom is of great value.Thethree children have-"

"Wait, what do you men three children? I thought there was only one, the Worthy one…?" The fire nymph smiled. Patience radiated out of it, but anger too.

"I suppose I could tell you the story, though you should already be familiar with." She glared at the water sprites, whom turned away. "Long ago, three items of power were wrought to help in the great wars. They were made for the daughters of King Frond. Each of these daughters specialized in some art of great power, and their item only increased their power.

The Silent Reaper, youngest of the three, was only good at taking lives. She was renowned across battle fields for destroying vast amounts of the enemy force. Her necklace, the Amulet of Quietus, enabled her to kill those people without lifting a finger.

The middle child, Betraying Angle, dealt out love to every creature. She was though to be the weakest, but she had a bad side too. The Angel could cause people who had turned their back on love to feel the pain of other emotions, like envy and fear. She wielded the bracelet.

Oldest and wisest child, White Bringer, held power over the light of sanity and the depths of craziness. She was wised, and could bring people to insanity longbefore she ever touched her ring

Together, these young women make the Three Sisters of Doom. They have to power to kill anybody, or heal them, but that's up to them. Every hundred years or so, these sisters are reincarnated into new bodies, in hopes they will one day bring a lasting peace to the people of this world.

I don't know the names of the other sister's items, because our people were only entrusted with the Amulet's knowledge. Now, our Seers have told us the identity of the Worthy one, but I'm afraid they also saw a vision.

A young human boy and his two companions are coming this way, seeking the Amulet and its holder. We must break our own laws to ensure it is not found. Anya, I must ask that what I tell you remains knowledge to only your ears, and that you will never part with this, for it could mean death of innocent people."

"Wait, your going to tell me who the Worthy one is? But, my mother said I should never know!"

"Your _mother_ ?" One nymph questioned, only to be silenced by a friends hand.

"Your mother didn't expect this to happen, dear, and I must ask that you trust me.

Will you keep the knowledge secret?" Anya hesitated, and the nodded slowly.

The woman leaned forward and whispered the name in her ear.

"Deidra Nevin, of the United States." Anya nodded, and the sprite continued.

"She lives in the west, in a desert, and is training in killing arts. Find her, and protect her from these men, for they will use her power."

"How long may I remain here?"

"Another day or two, but you must hurry after that. Time is of the essence." With that the fire sprite turned, bowed to the elders, and took their leave. As soon as the last flash of their robes had vanished, silence consumed the room.

Anya turned to the others, a glare flowing from one to the next.

"I'm disgusted by each and every one of you. To keep such knowledge to yourself! What evil this could have wrought must not have bothered you much. I guess you thought ignorance was better than knowing. Well I, for one, prefer to know what I'm up againest, rather than to jump at it blindly.

Tomorrow, after my guard duty, I will be leaving. This wretched village can burn for all I care."

She turned and stormed out, leaving them all with blank looks of horror.

**Artemis** sat back against the tree, watching through binoculars as the water women bellow started out their day. A small group of children were lead of in the opposite direction, most likely to be watched by the adults accompanying them. To the right of that group was a slightly larger and older group. They head of to the west with baskets. Food, it seemed, had to be collected daily.

In this group, of the three guards it had, only two walked in the water. Artemis motioned to Butler, though it was hardly necessary. The manservant had long ago recognized this girl.

The boy stealthily gathered his equipment and followed the sprites. They had taken cover in the trees some distance away from the village, and had staked out all night. It seemed there were visitors the night before, and Mulch had identified them as fire fairies. A rare sighting that was, and even more so in a water spirits village.

A few minutes later, the fairies had stopped and settled in. They appeared to be gathering underwater plants, like moss and weeds. The two guards in water were walking around them, searching for intruders.

But the girl who had not stepped into the water yet sat by a tree, seemingly asleep. One of the guards called to her, asking her to come into the water, but the girl dismissed the request with a hand wave. She sat basking in the sun, this girl of maybe fourteen. He'd have to ask Mulch how elfin years worked.

Artemis looked at her closely. Blonde shoulder length hair, a blue dress that seemed to barely cover her, and several bracelets of what looked to be grass. Great figure too.

Artemis turned to Butler.

"That's our sprite. Tomorrow, we go and 'invite' her home."

**Author's Note**:

Ok, that was fun. Little confusing most likely, but hey, ask me questions, I'll answer. Little thing I thougt I'd point out: if I ever do finish this, I believe there will be a sequel, or even a series. Obviously, the three sisters will be involved. What could Artemis possibly want from them? Why, nothing short of ruling the world. He really is a bad little man. Disgruntled midget troll, more like it. (Inside joke)

Do me a favor? REVIEW! If you hate it and think I should stop writing, tell me. Maybe I'm astonishing, just unbelieveable...tell me! Maybe I'm just too insane and are scaring all the nice reviewers away... I'll be nice, I promise! I can't improve unless I'm told what's wrong people, that's the way it works.

Oh, and what is a beta? I have no clue, honestly... Is there a place where I can read about all these little short hand words that everyone but I seem to know? Help me, please. I must understand!

Finelley


	4. Capture of a Stubborn Sprite

Amulet of Quietus

Disclaimer: I know the drill. Nope, don't own it, but I do lay claim to Anya, her village, the amulet, the ring , the necklace, the three sisters, the fire sprits- It keeps going!

Setting: Wouldn't you like to know… I'm afraid I can't reveal it in this chapter, sorry.

Chapter 4: Capture of a Stubborn Sprite

**A**nya knew the day was a strange one when she had first awoken. The sun wasn't shining, a rare thing where she lived. A storm was rolling in, she could see it. But there was also an awkward stench to the air. Something like mud mixed with unnamable items. The smells were unfamiliar, so she couldn't place her finger on the names of them even if she wanted to.

When she had gone to gather the younger girls, they had all avoided her eyes. Apparently, everyone knew she was leaving, and to them she was already dead. The better to acknowledge something was dead if you ignored it. Some of her closest friends would hold on to her before she left, and would shed tears for her, but everyone else would turn to the next day, imagining that she'd never existed.

Then on the walk to the food pools, Anya could have sworn there were eyes on her again. She almost turned to look, but resisted the urge. She knew it was just her senses playing cruel games on her. It was just her nerves, jumpy about the upcoming trip, that's all.

When they arrived at the pool, Anya had avoided the group and gone to a nearby tree to rest. The previous night she had barely slept. Too many things had been skimming across her mind to allow for sleep.

Marium called to her, asking her to come and examine something she'd found. Probably some stupid rock, again. Anya waved her hand, a clear sign she didn't want to know what this was about.

"Anya, please come look at this. I think it's important!" The girl's voice was high with excitement. Giving in with a sigh, Anya walked over to her. In the water was something resembling a large footprint, only it was oddly shaped. It was rounded, like the person had worn little disks on their feet.

Anya whistled and placed her foot inside of the print. It was quite a bit larger.

"Whoever did this must have had large feet." Marium said. She was always jumping to conclusions about Mud men invading their village. Everyone laughed at her, even Anya sometimes. But this was different. Marium had proof that an unknown person had been here. And recently, looking at how complete the print still was.

Looking more closely at it, Anya noticed several more marks, traveling to the north. They then faded into the forest greens, where the land was ever so dry. Knowing something was up, Anya turned to warn Marium.

The girls expression was what startled Anya first. It was one of terror. The cold terror, not one that could easily be faked. Her mouth hung open, her eyes wide. There seemed to be words on her tongue, but they were stuck in her throat, which had suddenly seized up.

"Marium? What is it?" Anya grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her gently. The girls arm came up, grasping her own, and then her other arm pointed. To the forest.

Fearing what she might see there, Anya turned, knowing it was something bad. And it was.

There was a man. No, a boy. He wasn't very tall, only about five feet, with dark hair and eyes. Although Anya found him attractive, she could hardly think about that right now. Behind him was a creature of such small stature that she didn't notice him until he moved. It was a dwarf, she recognized it by the beard.

Anya did the only thing she could in her state of shock. She sounded the alarm. It was a small shell about her neck, used for many years to communicated a warning to the village. When the elders heard it, they would pull everyone out of the small town and into the forest, where an escape river lead to a safe place. The guards, like herself, would stay and defend their people. Or try, at least.

As the naiads around her fled, Anya pulled forth her walking staff. It could serve well for a weapon, seeing as it was made from the hardest wood around. Hickory, one of the best. Placing it before her at a forty-five degree angle, Anya spread her legs out for better balance. In her peripheral vision, she could see Marium doing the same. They were ready.

The boy was walking forward at a well kept pace. It wasn't to fast or slow, but moderate. The dwarf seemed reluctant to follow. Anya set her sights on the human, deciding to take him out first. Just as she was about to leap forward, she heard it. A sound, betrayed by a boot. It was behind her.

Anya knew it was a trap then, and took to the last result. It was ever spirit for herself, and Anya meant to take that saying well. She turned to her left, fleeing the scene. If Marium knew what was good for herself, she'd do the same, but in the opposite direction.

Looking back briefly, Anya noticed a man of considerable size. He was holding a silver thing in his hands, and pointing it at her, but she was in the trees before he could do anything more. It seemed her only chance was to flee into the land of man.

**B**utler sighed, knowing it was worthless to fire now. He could hit a moving target, but not one surrounded by trees. It was time to pursue. Leaving Artemis to his own plan, Butler took after the girl on foot. It seemed she thought to get away. Not likely. He'd see to it that she was in that tank with in the hour. That was his job, after all.

**A**nya was winded. She'd been running for twenty minutes now, knowing that every second she didn't move that mountain/man got closer. Up ahead was a waterfall, one of the tallest in the land. She had been here before.

This was where Anya had first gone when the other spirits had though her missing for those three wondrous weeks. Though the area she had covered while on her own that one time was very minimal, it helped her navigate now.

She jumped into the pool before the slow flowing river. This river fed right into the fall, and yet barely moved at all. It was because the land under the water was at a small incline, meaning the water had to collect before it could travel up and over.

As she was catching her breath, Anya heard movement in the forest. No way that a mud man could have caught up with her that fast. Had they even followed her? She stood stock still, waiting for the inevitable.

A bird shot from the trees, squawking over something. Most likely, it had found another bird in its nest, or its eggs had been eaten. Sighing in relief, Anya turned back to the pool and sunk into it. Feeling immediately at home, she began to slow her breathe. The water ceased to exist, as did her body. They were one, combined in the relaxed pulsing of the liquid.

_Crack! _Her eyes shot open. Anya knew it wasn't a bird this time, or anything native to this forest. Nothing that lived her could make that great a sound, even by accident. Everything here was too small for that.

Pulling herself partly from the water, the girl looked back at the forest. She saw the man at the same time he spotted her. They starred at each other, one in horror, the other in wonder. Not hard to guess which was which.

Coming from the shadows, the man made to be imposing. He stood two and a half feet over Anya, and even from a distance of ten yards, she could see his eyes. Cold, with out mercy. He was ready to do anything to nab her. The human took a step forward.

Anya stumbled backward. The distance they were at was fine, why did he insist on making it smaller? With every step forward he took, Anya crept back another. Still, the man took larger steps than her, and was soon in the water. She was nearing the falls.

Realizing she was trapped, Anya decided to talk to him first. Her throat stuck for a moment, but she coughed it clear. A shaky sound erupted from it.

"What do you want, human? I have caused you no harm. What is it you seek from me?"

The man, in the least, seemed surprised. He stopped for a moment, considering whether to respond or not.

"It's not what I want. It's what Master Fowl wants. At the moment, I believe that would be information on the Amulet of Quietus. And you know where it is."

Should she try lying to him? Anya voted against it. Her face already told the truth. He knew, and she knew that he knew. That's all there was to it. So she decided instead to devise an escape plan.

"Not like I'll tell you anytime soon. And, besides, I can't even touch it, and neither can you. So, what's the point?" The human's eyebrows went up. Anya knew she'd just given away vital information.

"Well, that sure is news. I'm sure you know something more about it though."

"Oh, is that so? What makes you think that?" And idea popped into her head. It wasn't a very good one. Her chances of survival were slim, but better than anything she'd come up with so far.

The human smiled smugly. "Well, your face says it, for one. And your voice, for a second. You should learn to hide those type of things." He stepped forward, pulling out the shiny stick from before. Slowly, the man brought it forward.

Anya beat him to it. Before the man could do anything, she used what little magic she had to throw that water at him. A small wave overtook him, throwing the man down into the water. Anya turned, knowing this was a bad idea. The jump had to be a hundred feet, if not more.

A shot rang out behind her, and an intense pain formed on her left shoulder. Obviously, the human had recovered. Anya could feel whatever it was he'd used taking effect. Her mind was slowing. Black began to form in her vision, the insidious color ensnaring her.

Behind her, the human was splashing forward, hoping to catch her before she fell of the edge. But he was too late. Anya turned to him, smiling in her little triumph. And she jumped from the waterfall. Or rather, she fell from it head first.

The fall was zipping by, a blur of crystal and blue. And then the water was on her. As she was floating downstream, she hit a rock. That, and the sedative from the human sent her to a place of lasting darkness.

**B**utler almost cried out when the nymph fell from the edge. This wasn't good. Artemis wouldn't like her too damage. He had been caught off guard by the wave, which had given her the time she needed to jump. Mulch apparently had forgotten to mention that water sprits had magic too.

He stepped forward to the ledge, starring down. The girl's body was floating downstream. She hit a rock and was jammed between it and the shore of the river. Perfect, just where he needed her. All he had to do now was find a way down.

_**T**he light in the cave this time was much brighter. Anya could see her mother clearly, and the Amulet too._

_**Anya, my daughter, what are you doing here? The humans, they will find your body if you don't return soon.** Her mother looked worried._

_**What was the thing I was hit with? It caused me to lose my conscious mind. Was it magic?**_

_**Hardly. It was a fluid, a drug, used by humans, to keep other people calm. It seems they don't know that much about the Amulet though. Hopefully, you didn't tell them anything.**_

_Gulping, Anya avoided her eyes. **I told one of the men that they couldn't touch it, and neither could I, but he didn't seem to worried about it. **_

_Her mother sighed. It was to be expected. This was what happened when people were ignorant. _

_**I'm going to awaken your body now, child. When you wake up, run with the steam. It should take you away from the Mud men. Please, be swift my daughter. Future generations depend upon it.**_

_Anya could feel her mother receding, and real light approaching…_

**T**he water was running past her. It flowed much freer down here than it had up on top. Forcing her arms beneath her, Anya attempted to stand. Failing, she tried again, this time with her legs. Though they seemed rather weak, Anya's legs worked well enough to get her from the river to dry land.

It seemed her mother hadn't woken her up soon enough. Anya spotted the boy, the one who had served as a distraction earlier. He was still accompanied by the dwarf, and both of them were standing not twenty feet away. So, where was the mountain?

Deciding not to worry about the big man, Anya stormed forward to the boy. He was startled by this behavior, it showed in his eyes. Although he didn't move, Anya knew he wanted to run.

As she approached, the naiad noticed the adult human. He was running down a path the led to the waterfall. Apparently, he had trouble finding a way down and was running a little late.

Anya knew she wouldn't be able to outrun them again, and knew she was going to be caught. But that didn't mean she couldn't make one of them regret this plan.

"You've chosen the wrong day to mess with me, boy." Before he could respond, Anya heaved back and punched him square in the nose. Said human flew backward, and landed on his rump with a thud. His hands flew to his face, blood pouring down it from the wound.

Smirking, Anya turned to the other human. He wasn't there. She gasped when a muscular hand grabbed her hair, the other snaking around her neck. Her hands seized the arm around her, looking for a grip and finding none. That's when it tightened.

**B**utler expertly executed the Falcon grip on the girl. In less than three seconds, she'd be out cold. If he kept going for around ten, her body would cease all functions.

Although the sprit was grappling his arm in a death grip, it was not going to stop what was coming. Very slowly, the girl relaxed, until she finally slumped into his arms. He dropped her, and went to Artemis.

"Are you alright, Sir?" Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, he dabbed the kid's nose, assessing the damage. It wasn't broken, but he'd have a headache in the next few hours, and one tomorrow. He offered his hand to his employer.

"I'm fine. Just make sure our friend can't get at me again. I hate to think what she'd do a second time." Artemis took the offered hand and stood. He held the cloth to his nose in hopes it would soon stop gushing forth bodily fluids.

The manservant took another syringe of sedative and inserted it into the troublesome sprite. Then, whilst still bent down, he threw her over his shoulder and stood. Artemis wouldn't be flying tonight, so he figured it was his turn. Turning, Butler began the long trek back to the plane.

**T**wo hours later, the jet was within their sights, Artemis was complaining of a headache, and Mulch was flat out complaining.

"It's hot. Why don't we get a fan? There's a bug on my clothes. And a rock in my shoe. When we get in the jet, can I have something to eat. Is there a shower? I'm sweater right now than I was while working in the desert last fall. Man was that one sweaty time of my life!" As the neared the jet, the dwarf was talking more and breathing less.

Only after Butler threatened to tape him to a chair with his mouth tightly sealed did the dwarf stop. When they did reach the plane, Butler unlocked it and took the fairy to the tank.

It was a large rectangular tank. Made from glass, it was about ten feet across, six feet high, and five feet deep. It was halfway filled with water from a garden hose, but it also had rocks for the creature.

Butler used a small step stool to deposit the girl in the tank. Then he found the lid, a wire mess that would keep anything her size and bigger locked up. With screws and a screwdriver, he nailed her cage shut. Escape wouldn't be a problem, seeing as they'd be home before she woke up. But it never hurt to take an extra precaution.

When Artemis had taken two Aspirin and Mulch had settled down watching TV, Butler took the controls and started for home. It would be a long night, but they had succeeded. The Amulet would be theirs soon.

With that happy thought in mind, the miniature jet took off into the night, scarring all wildlife in the vicinity.

**Author's Note**

Well, that was fun. Another chapter up and done. What's next? Ah, who knows? Lol, well, I do actually. But that's info for me to know, and everyone else to figure out in the near future.

As to my knowledge on the Falcon grip. Well, I took martial arts and they attribute to this stuff. I can imagine whole battle scenes in my head. Half the time though, I forget them or never use them for anything. Oh well, can't hurt to know extra stuff.

Also, I wrote an angst one-shot on Harry Potter, if anyone wants to know. It was a hit amongst my friends. One of them started crying in the middle of our second hour class. At least she can show emotion though, right?

Well, I've gotten reviews, and I thank the TWO people who actually took ten seconds to tell me how I wrote. How kind of them…

Dr. F. Roy Dean Schlippe, the grammar freak like me. Rock on my grammatically correct friend.

snailthewhale, thanks for the review. I have yet to look that mistake up, but will should that character ever come into this story again. Not likely, but hey, can't shoot me yet.

Finelley


	5. Memory Breaker

Amulet of Quietus

Disclaimer: I thought everyone would get this by now. I don't own it, or I'd be one rich young lady.

Setting: Fowl Manor…finally! I mean…never mind.

Chapter 5: Memory Breaker

Anya's first instinct was to scream and cry simultaneously. Thankfully, she was too out of it to be ashamed when she did both.

The humans had done this. She was on a large slab of cold rock. It was pressing into her back. Leather restraints held her arms and legs down, but there was wool on the inside of them to keep her skin from being harmed.

The room she was in was dismal, to say the least. Gray walls, and a matching floor. The roof was an awful shade of black, and the only door was located on the opposite end of the room. No windows, no fresh air. She felt the area shrink in size.

A subtle scrapping sound behind her announced someone else was there. Turning her head the slightest bit, Anya became aware of something else. There was something odd around her neck. It was chilly, and strong. It didn't bend when she moved, and almost choked her it was so tight.

The Mountain, as she'd dubbed the large human, was messing with a large polished screen. The black field it showed had many white dots spontaneously popping up and disappearing. It was amazing.

"I see you've awoken." He stated flatly. That stone voice almost made her shiver.

"What is this? What do you want?" Anya struggled with the straps, knowing it to be useless, but wanting to try anyway.

Instead of answering, the human picked up a small black box. He flipped a switch, and static could be heard coming from it. When he pressed the button on its side, it went quiet.

"She's awoken, Sir." Anya nearly shrieked when a response came from the box.

"I'll be there momentarily. Get out of that refrigerator dwarf!" A crash and bang was heard from the box, and another voice could be heard.

"Just let me get the ham! All I want is a sandwich!" The static returned.

Anya gulped. She had a bad feeling about this. That feeling escalated when the door opened and the human boy walked in. He was dressed in a navy blue suit today, though it hardly took away from his evil demeanor. The dwarf, who was as always, in tow of the boy, added an odd contrast to the room. He sported an orange shirt, bright blue trousers, and a yellow cap. Simply striking.

"Ah, I see you've joined us, Ms…?" He was expecting an answer, huh? She'd give him one, that was for sure.

Anya spat at him, watching it hit his face, slide down his chin, and slowly dribble off from there. He reached out and with a handkerchief, dabbed at the blob until it was gone.

"Well, that was interesting. I can see you don't want to talk to me. Bad feelings about being taken from home, huh? Butler?" He turned to the Mountain. So he did have a name! Butler went back to the black screen, and pressed a button. The field changed to a vibrant blue.

"The screen over there is about to show us inside of your brain, Miss Sprite. This device about your neck was a recent invention of mine, inspired by your distant relatives, the fairies. You see, when they took my memory, they used a machine similar to this and probed in, looking for everything I knew about your world.

Well, now it's my turn. I haven't had time to test this, though, and I'm afraid it might not leave you, well, let's just say, completely sane." His smiled showed the fangs that lingered under his pale skin. This time, Anya shivered.

"What do you mean?" Her voice was weak

"I mean, if you want to guarantee that your memory and sanity are with you tomorrow, you might want to talk to me about the amulet. Now." His emphasis was impossible to miss. She gulped, the spit getting stuck briefly in her throat.

"I don't know anything about it. I've just recently discovered who guards it and where it is, that's all. I swear!" His eyes were starring at her.. They bore into her soul, evaluating her answer.

He shook his head. "Are you teasing me? I'm not an idiot, girl! Tell me the truth, or so help me, you'll have no memory of anything when were done!" His face had gone red.

"My m-mother guards it. I can show you where it is, but it takes a long time to get there. Please, don't hurt me. That's all I know, I promise. That's all she told me." Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. She was afraid, and she knew they could tell.

"And the one who holds the power to wield it? Who and where are they, might I ask?" Anya knew she couldn't answer. She ground her teeth together tightly.

"Not going to answer? Your choice." The child's voice lacked any emotion at all. With a nod, Butler stood and moved toward her. His hand lightly touched her skin and he fiddled with the machine at her neck.

"Remember, your memory was your choice. Your chose to part with it, and I'm sorry to say that it will shortly leave you. This device, as I've told you, looks into your mind. But I didn't mention the fact that whatever it finds is forever lost to the owner.

That screen there will show us what we need to see, and we will record it so we can view it again. Unfortunately, you will no longer be needed after that, so we can dispose of you then." He turned away and took a seat next to the screen.

"Wait! I'll tell you! I mean it!" The fear was taking over. It shrouded all other emotions, making her feel lost. Anya fought to get loose, to escape this hell. Panting heavily, she slumped back into the table in defeat. They were ignoring her. It was like she didn't exist.

A burning sensation burst forth from the memory machine about her neck. Anya shuddered violently, memories coming and going rapidly. She screamed, lost to the pain of this torture.

**A**rtemis cringed when her scream rang out. This was bringing her pain. But he would do what was required to get revenge. His father was what mattered, not this magical girl. The screen flashed, and Artemis took to the controls.

He surfed through her mind like the internet. On his keyboard, he typed in amulet, guardian, worthy one, and anything else he deemed relevant to the subject. He pressed record on the machine and let it roll.

There was a gorgeous land flying by, green field and mountains, and then several seas and islands. The TV then proceeded onto a miniature island with a large mountain in the middle of it. A cave was at the foot of the mountain, and in he flew. If Artemis could guess right, he'd say it was an island located around the Ryukyu Islands, which were just south of Japan.

In the cave was a woman. Dim light radiated from her blonde hair, and from the silver necklace behind her. She turned to Artemis and smiled. He guessed it was the girl's mother. The woman spoke. Artemis reminded himself it was only a memory.

"Not quite, my child. The Amulet gives the power of judgment to any one it deems worthy. This means they can take a life, or give it. But there are rules to this game."

A voice responded. It was the girls.

"Game! How can you call this a game? These are people's lives! And your just whisking them which way you will!"

The scene ended, and Artemis was taken back to the village where they'd found her. He was inside a small hut, and was currently leaning toward a red haired woman. She whispered something into the girls ear that made Artemis smile.

"Deidra Nevin, of the united States. She lives in the west, in a desert, and is training in killing arts. Find her, and protect her from these men, for they will use her power."

He ended it here. Artemis had mentally blocked out the screams coming from the girl. He knew she wouldn't be the same after this. It was best that he held her here for observation before continuing on with the plan. He went to see if she was awake, and found her eyes cracked open.

"Anya?" He asked, her name coming from his lips for the first time. He'd found it in one of the many memories he'd come across.

She didn't respond. Her eyes were shifting about rapidly. They never settled in one place. He snapped his fingers, gathering her attention briefly.

"Anya, can you hear me? I need to know if your ok, or not." She looked at him. The depth in her eyes had increased. They were pits, pulling him in. He had caused this.

Her mouth moved, and a barely audible whisper came out.

"I'm here." He patted her head, and she flinched.

"That's good. Very good." Looking over her to Butler, he nodded. The sedation she was going to receive would ensure she remembered nothing of this. Though he'd considered placing her back in the sprite world, Artemis knew it wouldn't work. He'd been left with too alternatives.

First, he could kill her. Rather, Butler could, and then he would bury the body. The second option didn't make his stomach turn as easily, but he was still uncomfortable with it. He planned on erasing her memory of the sprite world completely, and turning her into a faithful servant. It sounded cruel, but it had been a last resort to save her.

With some training from Butler, she might even make a half decent bodyguard. Goodness knew he needed one, what with Butler slowing down and all. At least there was an optimistic side to it all.

The injection flowed into her body easily. Anya tensed for a moment, and then was in the bliss of unconsciousness. Mulch, who'd remained quiet during the whole procedure, slunk forward slowly, looking intently at her.

"Did you just kill that sprite?" His shaky voice told his fear out loud.

"No, she's fine. Pack your bags." Artemis walked to the TV and extracted his recording. He then proceeded to the door.

"Bags? We just got back. Where are we going now?" Artemis stopped at the door.

"From the looks of it, the United States. I'd say the southwest, so bring short clothing and sunscreen. It's going to be a long plane ride." He closed the door, his mind pulling back into its self to work out the puzzle he'd yet to figure out.

Where was the chosen one?

**D**eidra Nevin gasped as her body hit the floor. It was the third time that day her teacher had thrown her to the ground, each time getting a little more violent then the last. She rolled backward over her shoulder, coming to her feet, and faced him.

This session would last for another twenty minutes. For the next five minutes, she would attempt to hit him, while he blocked her every move, and then they'd switch. After another five minutes of this sparring, she'd move onto the weapon form she was practicing.

Master Quinn, as he'd told her to call him, lunged forward, grasping her arm and twisting it, placing her in a leverage. She grunted, slapping her side to show him that she could feel it.

"Lost in our thoughts today, Dei?" She nodded, and attempted to swipe his feet from under him. It didn't quite work, though he did lose his balance. His grip tightened though, and when he went down, so did she. That made four falls.

They both rolled away, coming up again ready for another round. Deidra punched at his head. His hand came up, easily pushing hers to the side. It was exactly what she wanted. She raised her left leg, aiming a kick to his stomach. It found its mark, blowing her teacher backward. That was a first.

He was recovering as she bent over him.

"Master Quinn? Are you ok?" Deidra didn't have enough time to think before she found herself on her back, the wind knocked from her lungs. Quinn stood over her, smiling.

"Never leave your guard down."

**T**wenty five minutes later, Deidra sighed deeply, leaning back into the couch. The ice pack on her shoulder brought little relief, even though she was trying to convince herself it would do more.

She opened her math book and turned to the assigned page. Ach, graphing equations in the y- intercept form. Boring, easy, and done in ten minutes. Where was the challenge in that?

She stood up, looking the mirror. A brown eyed teen of thirteen starred back. Brown hair with blonde streaks lay on her shoulders, bright eyes shone with a glare from the light. She wore a black tank top, which just reached her belly button, black pants with numerous tears and strings hanging from them, armlets that were also black, and black earrings.

Though her friends thought her a punk, she resented being called that. This was simply her style, the way she wanted to dress. Most of the time Deidra couldn't explain why she wore these clothes. Not to them. They'd laugh, calling her insane if she told them the truth. No one believe in magic anymore. Not unless they suffered from the curse of it.

She plopped back into the couch, turning on the television. After flipping to MTV, she sat back, listening to Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day.

_She was in a small cave, looking at a woman she'd never seen before. It was a blonde lady with soft looking skin and blue eyes. Her blue dress seemed barely efficient to cover her, but it didn't seem to matter to the woman._

_**Worthy One, it is an honor and also a great pain to see you.** Her lips didn't move, but Dei knew it was her speaking._

_**Worthy One? Me? **She looked around. There was no one else there. A nod came from the woman. She was the one._

_**Your presence here tells me my daughter has failed. It is still my job to guard the Amulet.**_

_**Amulet?** Right as she asked it, Dei spotted the jewelry. It was a beautifully carved silver peace with a ruby in the center. She reached out, grasping it. A cold shock wave went through her body, making her let go._

_**You can not yet access it. Your dreams will only allow you to feel its power, but until your body touches it in the real world, it is stuck her, and its power is dormant. **_

_Dei gulped.** Power? You don't mean being able to hurt people do you? Cause I have to warn you, I can do that already. ** The blank expression on the woman's face could best be described as shock. She recovered quickly, and talked frantically._

_**I must ask you to remain there. Do not seek this tool of destruction out. Last time it was wielded, thousands of people died. And I must ask you to avoid the human boy who seeks you. **An image of said boy appeared. His dark eyes glared at Dei, piercing her soul. Black hair, strong features. Expensive suit. Definitely an enemy she should avoid._

_**Fine, I'll look out for him. But, can you help me with these powers? Can you stop them? Please?** The longing in her voice was almost pathetic. Magic had plagued her from a young age, keeping her from real friends. All she wanted was a release from it, to be regular again._

_**Magic is part of your life child. It will never leave you. Get used to it.**_

Deidra sprung upright, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes. That was either the freakiest of most horrifying dream she'd ever had. She settled on the second. It was a little like a nightmare. She had just faced someone who'd told her that the magic would never leave her. Dei wanted to curl up and die.

A knock at the door sounded, startling her into falling on the floor.

She gathered herself up trying to look dignified. Deidra walked to the door, and through the glass pane saw the boy from her dreams. There was a monster of a man besides him.

Backing away slowly, Deidra hit the wall behind her. This was so not her day.

**Author's Note**

Well, though I'd leave y'all with a cliff hanger there. How'd ya like it? I enjoyed it. Makes you want to get mad at me for not typing faster, cause you know it will take me several more days to write the next chapter, huh?

Aren't I just an irritating little itch? No, I didn't cuss, I said itch. You know, those stupid little things you scratch at all day that never go away? I'm like them. Enjoy it while you can. (I'm on a sugar high right now, excuse the excessive writing.)

Well, I'd like reviews, but I think I've given up on them. sniffles All I wanted was a word or two. You people don't love me is that it? Lol, just kidding. Like I said, review if you want, doesn't matter to me. Whatever floats your boat, right?

P.S, apparently, someone else here got to my name. I had to change to finelley, a nickname from a dear friend of mine. Do I think it's immature? Sure. Does that mean I'm afraid to use it for fear someone will think me an immature child? Obviously not.

Finelley


	6. Silent Reaper Discovered

Amulet of Quietus

Disclaimer: If Mr. Colfer would sell Artemis to me, I wouldn't have to do this. I don't own Artemis Fowl, only the plot and everything not related to the original books.

Setting: U.S, and Ireland. I'm boring, huh? It's always in Ireland…

Chapter 6:Silent Reaper Discovered

**D**eidra almost couldn't do it. That door seemed like the bringer of death itself. It was like she couldn't avoid it though. One second she was on the floor, recovering from falling off the couch, and the next she was there, starring through the class.

The huge man was glaring at her, his gaze making her want to run away alone. Not to mention he was like a foot taller than herself.

Her hand was one the knob, turning…and it was open.

"May I help you?" She croaked. The boy was the one to respond.

"I believe you might just be able to do that. Tell me, have you been able to use the magic yet, or is it restricted to you?" Deidra gasped. It wasn't only surprise at what he'd said, but at something else. She'd heard movement in the house. No one else was suppose to be home.

She slammed the door, hoping the glass wouldn't break. Holding her hands out, Dei imagined a wall, a field between herself and them.

The giant slammed right into her force field when he tried to open the door. But there was something odd about him. An interesting trinket hung about his neck, some type of silver. Dei could tell he was feeling her field, but he was trudging right through it, albeit at a slow rate.

She pushed more energy into it, willing it to stay up. Deidra decided now was a better time than any to try and escape. Then, to her right, she saw the intruder. It was a girl with blonde hair, dressed in black, like the rest of them.

"Let me pass! I don't want to hurt you!" She yelled at the girl.

"Would you really hurt an innocent child, Deidra?" She was shocked, that much was sure. First off, the kid's voice was emotionless. She was like a robot, only not animatronic. Second, she knew Dei's name.

She didn't have time to play mind games with a kid. Dei was about to put up another shield when the one she had going suddenly let out. How could she have lost so much energy in such a small amount of time?

Speaking of time, that giant man was on her in seconds. He had a staff, and was pressing her against the wall with it. Dei grunted, pushing back, but failing to move him. His arms were three times as large as hers. And those eyes. They were pounding into her, making her want to back down.

She got a look at his necklace. The metal was glowing, just slightly. It was absorbing her power, that had to be it. She let go of her magic, letting it fall back into its own reservoir.

Dei decided to do something drastic. She kicked him, making him falter for a second. As his weight eased of the bar, she slid from behind it, turning in the direction of the girl. Who had quite suddenly found a miniature pool of water to throw at Dei.

It hit her with enough force to send her into the door at the other end of the hall. But the man caught her, grasping her arms. It was an odd arm lock. One of his arms was about her neck, and the hand from that arm was grasping the hand of his other arm, which was under her armpit. She couldn't really moved, seeing as her feet were nearly six inches from the ground, but she did struggle a bit.

The girl was standing in front of her, an interesting object in her hand. It was another necklace. What was with the jewelry? She placed it on Dei's neck, and then the man dropped her. Before she could do anything, it reacted.

She fell to her knees, raw pain coursing through her veins. Pulling at the collar didn't make it come off, that was for sure.

"What…?" She gasped out. It was too much. She held hands to her head, hoping to magic the pain out. The collar got warm, and hit her with energy. She fell over completely, panting.

Deidra knew what she had to do. She focused on the power, building a wall over it, settling in down, restricting its release. The pain ebbed away slowly, leaving her alone on the floor.

"What you just experienced was a tool which is obviously used to limit you power. As long as you don't try to us any magic, you won't get hurt. Understand?" It was the boy talking, she could tell. Deidra stumbled to her feet, wanting to face him.

"Yeah I understand." She decked him, landing a punch to his gut, causing him to fall over. The man in turn punched her, his fist colliding with her jaw. Dei's head flew back before she met with the wall behind her.

She slid down it, watching through black spotted vision as the boy tried not to cry. She smirked, knowing he'd feel that for several days. Itappeared someone had already hit him in the face. Looked like he had lots of enemies. Before she passed out, and she knew she would, Deidra wanted to know exactly what these people wanted.

"So what is it that attracted you scumbags? The house? You going to rob us? Or kidnap me? What do you want here?" The huge man looked to her, responding.

"We came solely for you. You are the Worthy One, and with your power, we shall exact revenge on the Russians." She gave him a blank look.

"What are you, some kind of terrorist organization? What did the Russians do to you?"

"They kidnapped my father, blew up his ship, blew off his leg, hospitalized him for months, demanded a ransom, and then fled like dogs." It was the boy who said that. He was still regaining his breathe.

Dei laughed, which made him look at her sharply.

"What's so funny about that?"

"Nothing. Just sounds like you're a rich, spoiled kid who doesn't like losing, and throws fits when ever someone bests him. Don't expect me to feel sorry for you, because all I feel right now is a strong urge to kick your scrawny ass." He didn't seem intimidated, not at all. In fact, he laughed too.

"Your threatening me? Now that is the kind of humor I needed! You see Butler here?" He pointed to the manservant. "He could kill you seconds before you would get close enough to hurt me. Don't bother trying."

"Really? Where was he when I smashed in your gut? As I recall, he was standing there looking like an overly- large monkey. Heck, he still is." She knew it would irritate both of them, though the one called Butler didn't show it.

"Alright, so he's Butler, the body guard. Who are you?" The blackness was coming up faster now. Her vision was starting to double.

"**A**rtemis Fowl the Second. Nice to meet you. Now go to sleep." She did, actually. The girl passed out before she could come up with another smart response. Butler picked up her body, holding her in his arms.

Artemis was now not only bruised in his face, but his body as well. And that girls insolence! Talking to him like he was an idiot. She'd pay for that, he'd make sure of it.

The black SUV they'd driven to her home waited out front. Butler threw her into the back seat, and gave several pairs of handcuffs to Anya.

"Cuff her to the seat for now. When we get to the plane, we'll undo her and tie her up again in there." Artemis studied the girl, watching her do as told.

Since using the Memory Breaker on her, Anya had been almost unresponsive. She obeyed every order, but never said anything, unless directed to. That line she had said to Deidra was an order from Artemis. Without his command, she would have just stood there, watching the scene unfold.

The ride to the airport was uneventful, aside from a small sports car almost sideswiping them. Butler had expertly avoided them and continued on.

Airport security in the United Stated was much to easy to get by. Most people didn't bother asking about the girlthat was out cold. The ones who did ask received a made up story about her being a famous violinist who had just given a concert downtown, and was exhausted.

Butler helped the story along by carrying her, making it look like he was her bodyguard. Once they were on the plane, Anya took her place next to the unconscious girl, chaining her to the seat again.

When asked if he wished to fly, Artemis decided to do so, only because he didn't want to spar with Deidra when she woke up.

"Butler?" He called to the manservant.

"Sir?" The voice came from somewhere in the back of the jet.

"Sedate that girl. I don't want her ranting mouth bothering me on the way back. I have things to think about, and no insane teen is going to interrupt me." A response came, though he couldn't decipher it. The boy genius started up the engine and led his jet down the runway.

**D**eidra looked around, taking in the new scenery. Was this a plane? It had to be, because she could feel it taking off. Nausea set in for a brief moment, but it passed. This was her first time on a plane, and she didn't even get a window seat.

Butler was moving toward her, a syringe in his hand. The handcuffs on her prevented her from struggling too much, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try.

"What's in that?" She asked.

"Sedative." He responded. He was checking that there was no air in it before he grabbed her arms in one hand, preparing her skin with an alcohol drenched swab with his other hand.

"That seems kind of stupid. What am I going to do? Jump out of the plane? It's not like I have anywhere to go." She hoped he'd see the logic in this, but he ignored her.

The prick of the needle could barely be felt. Dei noticed when he withdrew it though, because his hands let go of her. Her senses were dimming slowly. Before she passed out again, Deidra saw the girl with blonde hair.

She was sitting in a seat next to her, starring at her intently.

"What?" Her voiced was slurred. It almost sounded funny.

"You are the Worthy One. I will help you, but you must not tell them I am doing so. Understand?" It seemed odd to be agreeing with someone who had helped to kidnap her, but Deidra didn't care.

"Yeah, sure. I'm the Worthy One, and your Santa. Bring me an electric violin next year, ok? Make it blue, with sparkles, and I'll be one happy kid." Images of electric violins danced across her mind before Deidra was consumed by the dark again.

**A**nya sighed when the girl passed out. At least she hadn't started screaming or anything. That wouldn't have blown the hole plan down the drain.

The Memory Breaker had taken many things from her. First and foremost, her sense of security. These people were so down the pole of insanity, Alice's rabbit hole was a hundred feet above them.

It had also stolen most of her memories about the last few weeks. But one or two of them had survived, and those had been enough to set of a chain reaction. One second, Anya was an emotionless, pained girl the next, she was full of old memories, and a renewed hope.

She patted Deidra's head, smoothing down her hair.

"Let's hope I can get you away from them before they find that island. Otherwise, when that boy uses your power, he might lose what little sanity he still holds. His lust for power will lead him to your sisters, and that is something I can not allow. Sleep, Worthy One., for tomorrow, you are the Silent Reaper."

**Author's Note:**

Well, another one done. What's up in the next? Like I'd tell you!

Did you like my little insanity analogy? I came up with it in about, oh, three seconds. Bravo for me!

I'd like to thank my few reviewers. I've fixed the problems you all pointed out (I think) and am looking into other things.

To DarkKestrelArwenSilkeQueen, I thank you for the reviews. All three of them. As to the names I choose, generally, they are related to whom that person is or will become. I look them up at baby names websites (Those things are sooooo cool!) The Sisters of Doom are already picked and named. I love the names I got too. They sound so…menacing and enticing at the same time. Makes you shiver, huh?

By the by, Deidra means 'sorrowful one'. It was the closest I could get to death. There were no names related to death, so,um, ya. That's what I've got. I just looked up Nevin, and oddly enough, it means 'holy'. Weird mix. Holy sorrowful one. Huh…

Will Holly be in this? She might, later on. Only if Artemis goes insane on us though. Boy geniuses seem to be doing that a lot lately, just spontaneously going insane…Fun stuff right there. Insane people I mean. Now I'm ranting. I'll stop. For now.

Finelley


	7. A Plot Unfolding

Amulet of Quietus

Disclaimer: Hmmm… I make no profit from this and the everything that isn't Colfer's is obviously mine.

Setting: Fowl Manor, Ireland Also, Ryukyu Islands, which are just south of Japan. And Artemis's plane.

Chapter 7: A Plot Unfolding

_**S**he was surprised to be here at all. The last she recalled, Artemis's plane was still in the air. Had she fallen asleep?_

_The cave was so much more dim this time. Anya sighed, knowing her mother would be disappointed in her for helping to catch the Worthy One. But she had her own motives, even if her mind wouldn't tell her what they were. _

_**Mother? Are you here? We need to speak. I have many things to ask of you.** A sudden gust of wind made her look to the cave opening behind her. Nothing. She looked back, and there stood the fire fairy who'd been in her village._

_**Anya, we meet again. The human had caught you, yes?** Astonishing, Anya thought to herself._

_**Part of your Seer's vision I suppose? Who exactly are you? And why are you here?**_

_The fire sprit smiled, perfect teeth showing. **I'm called Ea, of the fire sprits in Africa. I lead my village there, and am also the Seer for my people. I am here to help you understand what you must do after this.**_

_**After what, exactly?**_

_**After the human had hold of the Amulet. When he uses it, he will lose all sanity, and then our world shall be in danger. The second sister will be sought out, and the third. I can not allow him to have those two.**_

_**And what, he can just keep the first?** Anya shook her head. Why was she so worried about this girl?_

_Ea's smile enlarged, if at all possible. **Feeling connected, huh? Must be the ancient bond.**_

_**There's a bond? Why didn't I hear about this before?** The venom in her thoughts couldn't be kept quiet. She was begging to think she knew nothing._

_**There is a bond. In the original pack of Sisters, each sister had a faithful guardian to watch over her life. King Frond cared greatly for his daughters, but he lost them soon after the war. Their own guardians committed the crime, murdering the girls, and then hiding their items of power.**_

_Anya's jaw was agape. **But I would never kill that girl! **_

_**That is where you are both wrong and weak minded. The guardians killed the Sisters because they knew their power was to great. Silent Reaper begged that they kill her, begged them to end her meaningless life, and her sisters knew it would be a soulless life without her. They asked the same.**_

_**A meaningless life? How so?** Anya interrupted._

_**Silent Reaper had seen too much death, had wallowed in it too long. She wanted to repent, but could save no one unless they were a trusted friend. So the guardians killed them, and hid their items. Each guardian took the knowledge of her items to a different type of fairy. The Amulet to water. The Ring to fire. And the Bracelet to earth. They are protected by the knowledge of those people to this day.**_

_Realization suddenly hit Anya. ** You don't mean…You couldn't possibly…want me to…kill her?** She received a nod. **You're out of your mind! The girl's innocent!**_

_Ea sighed. **You will understand with time, child. If you truly value the lives of everyone on this planet, than you will end her life. **_

_**I would never do such a vile thing! And to even suggest it is evil spewing from your mouth. The girl has killed no one-**_

_**Not yet. When she had the Amulet, we shall see. **Ea interrupted. She turned, looking at the Amulet. **I wish I could destroy it every day. I would give my life to do so, but it is not possible. The human shall get his revenge, and then he shall search for the Betraying Angel. **She turned back to Anya. **Will you help us when that time come? Shall you end her life? **_

_**Never.** She spat vehemently. _

_**Then I shall take this into my own hands. Welcome into your powers, Guardian. Watch over Silent Reaper, and guard her life with your own, if you must. But know that she will one day fall, and your time will end shortly after hers.**_

_Anya gapped at her. **What? What's that suppose-** the cave spun viciously, making her nocuous._

Anya bolted upright, finding herself again on Artemis's plane. Her face only showed the fear she was experiencing for a moment, and then a calm, emotionless face took over. She turned to Deidra, still sleeping, beside her.

"Dearest Reaper, let your sleep be undisturbed. This rest is the first and last you shall have for some time." She whispered.

_Dark figures swirled before her. Deidra gasped, making out several people she knew. There was Jim, her friend from school. He was a total nerd, but she was too, so why'd it matter? Then there was Jamie, the prep that she despised. Queen of the Preps, slut, and all about jerk, Jamie's friend Martina showed up next._

_**What is this? My life or something?**_

_**Not quite. It's just people who've made an impact on your life. And people who you can kill. **The voice was emotionless. It came from what she thought was behind her. _

_Turning, she noticed a dark clad figure, tall, with blonde flowing hair._

_**Who're you? **She asked timidly._

_**No one of great relevance. I'm simply here as a back-up, should all else fail. **_

_Dei didn't like the sound of that. **All else fail? What do you have to do then?**_

_His face shifted, or so it seemed. The cloak he wore made it hard to tell. ** Should the Guardians fail to kill you and your sisters in the end, then I shall end it for them. **_

**D**eidra yawned. She knew she was in a plane, being held against her will, and in all probability, she'd never she her family again, but that didn't mean she couldn't have fun imagining things flying by the window. Seeing as she still couldn't see out the far window, she could only guess as to what the earth far below looked like.

"Oh, look, there goes Artemis." She giggled, imaging the stupid kid falling hundreds of feet in a Bug Bunny type fall, only with a Daffy Duck landing. She felt the collar about her neck, hoping to find a catch of something that would allow her to take it off.

Cold, metallic, binding. Definitely not a necklace she'd be caught in. No opening either. Screw that plan.

Butler suddenly walked into the back of the plane, briefly glancing at her before continuing to the far back with a towel.

She heard the distinct voice of someone who sounded very angry.

"You could have warned me before making a sudden dive, Artemis! That was uncalled for, and we dwarves don't deal well with heights!" Deidra turned to see who was talking, but from her view over the seats, there was no one.

A figure suddenly appeared in the isle, walking down it unsteadily. He was short, ugly, and wearing something that didn't quite match. Dei smiled.

"Love the shirt. Orange is my favorite color." He looked at her, then to Butler.

"Does this mean she gets to stay awake, or are you going to sedate her again?" h asked.

Butler looked at Deidra. "No loud noises." She nodded, and he walked into the cabin.

"So, um, what are you?" she blurted out. The odd man starred at her, looking slightly amused.

"I don't look human to you?"

"Nah, even my old man doesn't dress like that, and man does he need help with his fashion statements!" She laughed, but the man didn't. Evidently, this wasn't a statement. He held his chin high, trying to look dignified.

"I, dear girl, am a dwarf. Mulch Diggums at your service." He smiled, his beard moving out of the way to show of an overly large mouth, with block like teeth.

"Yikes, those thing look like they could take out an eye, or chunk of skin." she giggled, imagining him doing that to Artemis.

"Something like that." he said, thrown off by her laughter.

"So, any idea where we're going?" she asked him.

"Well, I think it's the Ryukyu Islands, but-" He cut off suddenly, his face a light shade of green. "Excuse me." The dwarf rushed to the back off the plane. Dei heard him gagging, and then emptying his stomach. Yuck.

Before he made it back, Artemis walked into the posterior of the plane.

"Uh oh, rich snob alert." Deidra muttered. His eyes snapped over to her, and she smiled sincerely. "Truth hurts, huh?" His eyes read like a child's book. Death was on his mind.

"Trying to antagonize me will not work, dear girl. And it won't improve your situation at all."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun to watch you pretend not to be mad." She giggled again, his glare like a flame burning into her. He decided to ignore her, and continued on with whatever it was he was thinking about. "The Ryukyu Island chain is just ahead. Once we land, Anya will guide us to the cave, and you will grab the amulet."

Deidra's lost look gave him reason enough to continue explaining. "The Amulet of Quietus is the item of power for you, the Silent Reaper. This item-"

"-enables me to kill people, I know, I know." Artemis's face went blank. "I…had a dream about it, ok? I just didn't think we were talking about the same thing."

"Why didn't you mention it before?" He asked icily.

"What, while I was out cold, or while your monkey was beating me up?" She retorted. "Besides, with all the excitement of being kidnapped and all, I kind of forgot." He scoffed at her, making her want to smash in his face. "Something funny, snob?"

"Oh, nothing. Just think about how my revenge will work out." Dei glanced at Anya, thinking the boy was insane. She had to ask the one question that needed answering.

"And when you get your revenge, what then? What happens to me, and her?" Artemis turned away, looking out a window. Dei could just make out his face, one that looked rather confuse.

"**I** haven't figured that out yet." He lied. He knew what he was going to do, but it wasn't the right time to tell her. No one liked to think they were going to be a slave for the rest of their live, least of all bratty girls.

If he could, Artemis would brainwash her, like Anya. With her power and willing obedience, he could rule the world. His family could be the richest, most famous, and respected family on the planet. And with his genius, the fairy world would have accept him, or face extinction.

"Sir, the islands are dead ahead." Butler called from the front. Artemis stalked into the cabin and strapped himself into the co- pilot's seat. It was almost time.

**A**fter stumbling through the thick forest on the island, Deidra was almost relieved to be inside the cave. It was colder, but nothing in here snagged her clothing. With Artemis and Anya in the lead, and Butler brining up the rear, Deidra and Mulch trekked along at a moderate pace.

"This is it." Anya said. Her voice still lacked any passion. Deidra envied her, wishing she could achieve a voice like that.

Butler grasped her arm, pulling her toward the center of the large cavern. The Amulet of Quietus was there, just like in her dream. But would it freeze her this time? She turned to Artemis, fear evident in her eyes.

"Take it, Deidra." He whispered. Butler pushed her toward it, and after she regained her feet, the girl walked up to the pillar. Dei reached out, hand brushing against the stone. This was what Artemis had ordered her to do. With the necklace on, she could not escape. She grasped it, feeling it's power-

_People screaming. Cold air rushing past her._

_**No! This can not be! Not again!** The voice was of someone she didn't know. Several others screamed along with it._

_**History repeats itself. Destruction is coming. **A different voice panicked out._

_**If history truly repeats itself, than the Mercenary shall rise again. **And yet another voice._

_**But the people who will die- **It was the second voice who said this._

_**Shall die. **This was from the man in her dream before, the one cloaked in black, with the blond hair._

_**Mercenary! You return. **The second speaker again._

_**I do. And I shall do my job, but only when it is time. When the Sister's have seen what destruction can be wrought by their power, they shall ask for death. **He looked at Dei, and she saw his eyes. Red, merciless. **Should their Guardians fail, I will destroy them.**_

Deidra fell backward, her rump hitting the floor before the rest of her. The Amulet sat in her hand, cold, malicious. She regained her feet. Dei turned fully to him, holding the Amulet up.

"Here you go, brat. What do you want to do now? Play dress-up?" His vampire smiled shone in the dim light. Dei shivered. She had a very bad feeling about this.

"Now, Silent Reaper, we get revenge."

**Author's Note:**

Took me forever, I know! My family's a little busy. We're planning on moving to the eastern coast, somewhere around/in Pennsylvania. But it's very difficult and stressing to move, and I don't get to use the computer much. My parents use it to send their resumes to people.

I hate to break it to you guys, but this story is coming to an ending (one more chapter!). No, I'm not just going to kill it, it keeps going. This is a trilogy, after all (One story per sister). A second and third story follow. Heck, it might turn into four stories. The final one would be an ending story, based on everyone, and from a general point of view, not like this. (You know what I mean, how I keep switching betwixt and between Artemis, Anya, and Deidra, and even Butler.)

Email me or review. Tell me what you think. And here's a thanks to my reviewers. Lol, Thanks! And Heather, dearest, do not turn into Jessica. We both know that would be a disaster. (Heather and I are friends in real life, if your wondering.)

Thanks for reading.

Finelley


	8. Beginning of a Nightmare

Amulet of Quietus

Disclaimer: Fine, fine! I don't own it! Just everything not owned by the original author!

Setting: Russia

Chapter 8: Beginning of a Nightmare

"**I** hate the cold." Deidra shivered out, trudging through three feet of the fluffy white mass. They were in the middle of some Russian frost land, the only thing they could see was a city several hundred meters up ahead.

"Keep walking." Butler replied. _Must hate the cold too,_ Dei thought to herself.

When they finally did make it to the city, the streets were almost deserted. A woman or two walked down the street, sometimes with a child's hand clasped in her own, but when they saw these foreign people, the Russians hurried into the nearest building to them.

"Geeze, these people act like they've never seen foreigners." Dei murmured.

"They act like rabbits, afraid that they'll be caught doing something they aren't suppose to be doing." Artemis said quietly.

"And what aren't they suppose to be doing?" Deidra asked sarcastically. "Walking? Breathing?"

"The woman aren't suppose to be out in the street when other people come to their city. The men deal with us, not women." Deidra was awestruck. What kind of a country was this, where men were still superior to women?

Artemis, seemingly able to read her mind, answered her thoughts.

"This portion of Russia is still a third world area. Little food, bad living conditions, almost no work." He turned to her, his face ever so blank. "I suggest you play mute here. American's don't last long, and we wouldn't want the Russian mafia kidnapping you from us."

"Oh, no, that would surely be a great tragedy." Dei replied snidely.

"At least with us, you know you'll be alive tomorrow." He said, which silenced her. Now that was interesting threat and promise, all wrapped into one. He wouldn't kill her, that was for sure. At least, not until she wasn't useful. But would he let her go if she escaped? Or would he pursue her?

**A**rtemis surveyed his surroundings, taking in the trashy street, dark windows, and any other possible hiding places. They had, as far as they could tell, taken the city by surprise.

"Sir, that's the pub my contact said they'd be in." Butler interrupted his thoughts.

They had talked with another of his friends, gaining information on the usual hang out places of these Russian pigs, and this seemed to be where most of them had been seen last.

"And so it begins." Artemis said smugly as he stepped inside the bar.

**A**nya blinked furiously at the sudden contrast in light. The white snow had made her almost wonder if she'd gone blind, but this small wooden building had added a bit of color to her sight.

She walked behind Deidra, making sure no one attempted to hurt her, and acting like she'd stop the kid from running. She wouldn't. If anything, she'd "fall over", giving the girl more room to run past her if she needed it.

A sudden burst of blabber came from the front of their procession, and she realized it was Artemis, speaking some foreign tongue. It was graceful, but sounded complex.

Moments later, several large men burst to their feet, pulling out long metal sticks, like the one Butler had used. She had heard them call it a gun, but the word seemed so foreign…

"**Y**ou'll pay for that insult, boy!" One of the men shouted. Deidra could only guess at what Artemis had said to make him so mad. She only knew a word or two in Russian, but by where they were, she was sure it was the native tongue.

Artemis swiveled around, looking at Deidra.

"Use your power, Silent Reaper. Kill them." His cold eyes matched his heartless voice.

Dei starred at him in horror. He expected her to kill these innocent men? Ok, well, scratch the innocent part, but they were still human!

Before she could protest, an odd sensation arose from the collar. She realized it was allowing her to use magic.

With the restraints lifted, Dei could feel the icy necklace. Its insidious powers pulled at her, clouding her conscious. They begged to be let go. Blackness shrouded her sight, until all she saw was a man before here, angry, big, and holding a gun.

A gasp of breathe released her power. She felt it seeking them out, snuffing their hearts until they stopped altogether. Three men fell to the floor, cold as the winter raging outside.

Her knees thumped as the hit the wooden floor. How could she just let it do that? She had just killed men. Living, breathing humans! _Not me, not me. The power, the power did it!_

Artemis's clapping hands interrupted her thoughts.

"Bravo, Reaper, Bravo. A great job, I must admit. You killed those men in three seconds. Conrad-" Her fist smashed his jaw, knocking him down to the ground. Butler was on her in seconds, pinning her to the ground and pulling out a sedative.

"You're insane, Fowl! This world will never prosper under your hand! It will wither and die! And you, Artemis, you will be at blame!"

**T**hrobbing jaw, stomach and nose. This just wasn't his week. Artemis regained his feet, grunting with the effort. Deidra lay on the floor, sedative in her system. Butler was tying her hands with a rope.

The boy genius went to her collar, readjusting it so her magic was limited again. Though he could use a voice command, his aching jaw restricted too much movement.

"Sir, should I keep her under the chemical?" Butler asked. Artemis nodded and left the room, looking for a package of ice to place on his injury.

**B**utler finished tying the girls hands and stood up. The cold frost land outside starred at him, begging him to come and play. He glanced to where Artemis had vanished.

Thought the manservant would never question his employer, he did wonder about the mental stability of the boy. He seemed a little off lately, and the glint in his eyes after those men's death had been nothing but malicious.

A scrap of a boot sounded behind him, and Butler swung toward the offending sound. It was made by a masked figure.

It was a man, he could tell my the shape of the body. Black clothing clung to him, pulling him into the shadows. A short blade hung at his hip, two more over his shoulders, and a dagger hung in his hand.

"And you are?" Butler asked impatiently.

"The Mercenary." Was his response. They glared at each other, even though the Mercenaries eyes were nearly masked by his black face cloth. It covered his nose, mouth, and most of his forehead, but two slits for his eyes remained.

"Something you need here? Or are you just intruding?" The bodyguard inquired.

The Mercenary shifted and stood. He walked up to Butler, and looked up at him. He then glanced down at Deidra, and back.

"When that boy losses all of his sanity, I'll b here to end it." Butler stiffened, thinking he'd just threatened Artemis. His next words change the story a bit.

"Should the boy continue down this path, all of the sisters shall fall into his hands. When he is insane, I shall have to kill them all, for the sake of this world and the magic world."

"Master Fowl will not want that, and I therefore can not allow that."

The Mercenary scoffed. "Will you then allow an insane little boy rule the world? I for one do not wish for a second World War." Butler laughed at him.

"There already was a second World War." He laughed out.

"No, that was a human's "World War". I mean the actual thing." His serious tone made Butler stop.

"Actual thing?" He questioned.

"The first World War was fought between the fairies and the humans, long ago. The fairies opted to have the human race enslaved by the Ring, tortured by the Bracelet, and destroyed by the Amulet. The humans, obviously, wanted the Sisters destroyed." He paused, looking at Deidra again. "When they heard the Guardians would kill them, the humans rejoiced. Not many know that they never did."

"Oh?" Artemis's voice interrupted. "Who did?" He stalked into the room, standing near Butler.

"I did. Though I let them have the credit, the Guardians never hurt the Sisters. I ended their life, and trusted their bodyguards with the items, hoping they would find a way to destroy them."

"They never did." Artemis replied. "You can't destroy magic, only nullify it. So, who are you, anyway?"

"As I told your friend, I am the Mercenary. I was created by fairies to watch over these Sisters and guarantee that, should they ever be resurrected all together, I would kill them in the end."

"The End?" It was the boys turn to scoff. "Why not the beginning, before they can harm anyone? Why not now?" A pained look must have been on the Mercenaries face, because his eyes scrunched up.

"If the Silent Reaper dies before the other two are revealed, then they shall remain hidden. I can not allow two of the Sisters to remain alive while the other waits for resurrection. All must die before the new generation can be born." He bowed his head, ashamed that he could do no more to stop this fiasco.

"Ah, I see. You have to wait on me to find the other two before you can stop my plans." Artemis nodded his head as if the whole plan had just unfolded in front of him. "Well, don't expect me to just hand over the Sisters. I have no intention whatsoever of giving them up. You should hope that I don't have the Reaper kill you."

"Ha! You missed my point, child. I said I was made to counter the threat of these girls. That means I'm immune to them. They shall die." He walked over to Artemis and knelt down in front of him.

"Should you stand in my way of them, boy, you'll go down with them, make no mistake. I may not like killing, but that doesn't mean I won't kill a child to save millions of other innocent lives." He stood erect and walked to the door. Before steeping out, he spoke over his shoulder at them.

"The End approaches rapidly. Be ready for it, for once it gains momentum, it never stops, not until it had consumed all evil doers. That means you, boy, and your tall friend."

"I'm not a boy." Artemis seethed through his teeth.

"And I'm not afraid to kill you. Just remember, anyone in my way shall die. The End of the generation comes, and I intend to help it." He pushed open the door. The swirls of ice swallowed him. The Mercenary was gone in seconds, his threat lingering in the air behind him.

The Ending would come, and there was no stopping it.

**Author's Note**

Ok, I know that whole part in Russia was probably wrong and totally jacked, but just flow with it, ok?

This is my story, and it ran the way I wanted. Well, that's it for Amulet. Catch the second story (Based of the second sister, so we're talking Ring), coming soon. How soon? No clue.

By the by, if any of you read my reviews, you noticed one of my friends, Heather, left one saying she was high….she forgot the word "sugar". She's just on a sugar run, not drugs! I laughed so hard when I realized what she'd written.

Well, the Ring of Sagacity will be round and about in a while. Couple weeks. I'm expecting to move anytime between now and June.( I hope we move in March or April at latest, but hey, I can't help what happens.)

Thanks for reading, and look out for the second sister some time soon.

Finelley


End file.
